Where's the Beach?

Running, Reading & Relaxing  This morning was my last treadmill run (hopefully for a while). I did 4 miles all while watching the Food Network. This is the most tv I think I've watched in weeks combined. After running, I stretched and rolled on my Triggerpoint Kit (pretty standard). Again, we packed up lunch and snacks and head down to the beach. We were lucky enough to stake out our prime real estate spot again today. We got down there around 10:30 and stayed until 4. I can't say it was terribly exciting, but it was super relaxing. I did re-wear my pink suit today I finished my 2nd beach book - Jane Green's Dune Road . It was definitely much more lighthearted than Alice Sebold's The Almost Moon . Of course, that's the perfect kind of read for the beach if you ask me. Balcony Time with Friends We got cleaned up and started trying to get most of our things packed. Our friends did come over for a visit though. We had hoped to get in some beach time wit...

Running & Boxing Well, today there are no beach pictures to share. Jason got a tad bit pink yesterday, so we decided today would be our designated shopping day. Usually we take that when it rains, but there's no rain in the forecast. I kicked off the day with 30 minutes on the treadmill then 2 combos from Cathe's MMA Boxing to hit the abs. I hadn't planned on running until I realized it was National Running Day. How could I miss out on that one? Oh, and in honor of the day, runners should really head over to Jessica's blog post for the day - To Run Is... . Shopping After my workouts, I got cleaned up, had a quick lunch and then we headed to Foley, AL to the Tanger Outlet Mall. I almost always hit the jackpot at Ann Taylor Factory and sometimes Banana Republic Factory. Today...not so much. It was a major shopping fail day for me. Well, I did find my new fave Nike running hat for 10 bucks and some awesome Nike running capris I can wear in the fall. Other than...

Running So, consensus is that everyone likes me in pink huh??? What's so funny is that I bought that suit from Victoria's Secret at the end of last summer on clearance. I had thought it was a more subtle color and was totally shocked when I tore into the package. Holy shockingly pink! But I ended up falling in love with it. It's soooo not "me". And maybe that's what I like about it? Anyway, This morning I opted for an indoor, treadmill run with the Food Network to keep me company. I did 3 miles then 4 x 1:00 athletic intervals. I went ahead and stuck it out to round out the mileage to 5. Seriously, watching TV makes a world of difference when running the treadmill. I got back up to the condo and rolled out on my Triggerpoint kit and stretch. Definitely feeling super tight after running three days in a row. That's something I haven't done in a very long time. I try to space it out. But, here, on vacation, I am really down to either running or doin...

Hottest Run Ever This morning we were up around 7 am. Guess going to bed by 9:30 will do that to you of course. We had started watching Breakfast at Tiffany's, but just couldn't stay awake. So, up early, Jason decided he wanted to try to get out for a run with me after breakfast. So, we laced up the running shoes (I think it was a little after 8) and headed out for the hottest, most humid, heat index-of-100-degrees run I've ever done. Holy freaking crap. We made it about 4 miles before calling it quits. I will say that it was nice to run up to the top of a bridge and look out over the inter coastal waterways. Now, getting to the top was a bit challenging of course. We also ran through a neighborhood/condo area we've never driven through. So running can be a nice way to really see a city. As long as it's not going to kill you of course. I did hit the elliptical for 5 minutes to sort of ease out my legs then I did abs from Cathe's High Reps DVD. Sun, Sushi ...

First Beach Day Well, we got into Perdido Key, FL around 2 pm yesterday. Rather than going directly to the condo, unpacking, then heading back out for groceries and such, we stopped at a Walmart Super Center on the way in. It was kind of nice getting that out of the way and only unloading the car once. Though, the car was beyond packed and it took two carts to get it all up to the room Getting the errands out of the way meant we were able to hit the beach on our first day here. Usually it's around 6-ish by the time we've unpacked and run errands and unpacked again. So this was really a treat. Where's the Beach? Right here! Yes, I look confused, couldn't tell if the picture had taken First Beach Dinner Dinner was a roasted veggie salad with tofu. We were both looking forward to eating lots of veggies after being in a car most of the day with only a pit stop at Subway. I did have a salad there, but just not the same fresh veggies I like to use.   It was so n...

Well, today I am not exactly able to access my computer as I'll be in the car heading to the beach. We did start the trek yesterday evening stopping and staying the night in Vicksburg, MS (about halfway point). So today won't be too terribly bad. Anyway, there will be no workouts today. I'm not thinking a quick salad at Quizno's will be very exciting to share. And I'm sure you don't want to hear me whine about how I don't like to sit in a car for very long - thank goodness for audio books though. So, I thought it'd be fun to talk about packing for vacations. Jason and I have pretty much gone to the beach ever since we met (waaaayyyyy back in 1995). So we're kind of pros on beach packing. When it comes to other trips, I sort of don't know what to do. Seriously. Seattle, totally confused and ended up wearing pretty much the same thing all weekend. It's like my brain just fizzles. But beach packing...auto-pilot. Now, I do still want to ove...

This is definitely the time of year when I start to dream about a warm beach vacation. Summer feels like a distant memory. You begin to forget what being warm felt like. To help ourselves mentally, we typically book our condo some time during January. This gives us something to look forward to and also ensures the time slot we want. Christmas came a bit early for me this year though. It looks like 2010 may include not one, but two beach trips for us! Some good friends have decided to get married just after Christmas next year. Even better, it’s a beach wedding in Progreso, Mexico. Now, granted I hate to fly, but I think it’ll be worth it. It’s been three years since my last flight, so I think I have sufficiently recovered. The last trip that required flying was the catalyst that got me to go to the doctor and talk about optional medication to help me manage. I will never fly without taking something now. In fact, my husband probably will not allow me to fly without taking something...

After writing about Perdido Key, FL in “Missing the Beach,” I started to think that perhaps I made it sound like there was absolutely nothing to do other than sit on a condo balcony or sit on the beach and read. I really did not do the town justice. Those are just the two things that I find most relaxing and look forward to doing all year long. No stress. No worries. For me, no stress and no worries also involves maintaining some sense of routine and normalcy. I get extremely stressed and irritable when my routine falls apart. So, yes, I exercise. Yes, I try to cook healthier meals. However, when I am on vacation, I find that I actually enjoy those things so much more. I'm on no one else’s time schedule. I'm much more relaxed and focused on enjoying every moment. Maintaining a routine While it is vacation, I do try to maintain a sense of normalcy with my routine, to include diet and exercise. I think that is important. I always feel better when I'm able to continue to ...

Fall is slowly giving way to winter. The cooler weather makes me reminisce about warm summer days and beach vacations. Not much beats the feeling of warm, soft sand between the toes and the rhythmic sound of the waves crashing softly. For me, the ideal vacation involves renting a condo on a white, sandy beach and spending my days under an umbrella, reading book after book. My husband and I have found one spot that we both love to visit, Perdido Key, FL. It's about 20 minutes from the hustle and bustle, family attraction of Gulf Shores, AL. It's quiet, with no "main" strip of bumper to bumper traffic. There are only a few restaurants to choose from, and the condos are all on the beach and not towering. We typically try to go over Memorial Day weekend. It's still very calm and quiet. The weather is pleasant with no threats of hurricanes. Renting a condo is ideal; it allows us to cook in almost every meal. This saves money and is also healthier. We also choose a...

My main focuses are exercising and eating right (oh, and vacationing at the beach of course). I am a vegetarian, but I do not try to push my beliefs off on others. I do try to educate, however. I firmly believe that if I can be healthy without eating meat, then that is the path I will choose. For me being healthy also means exercising. I took ballet for over 20 years. As I got older, it became more difficult to find classes that were advanced enough but not also filled with teenagers competing against one another, or classes that fit into a full-time professional work schedule. Hence, I found myself walking the lonely treadmill at the gym. I was never a runner and still do not consider myself one. I have asthma and running was always difficult. However, walking on the treadmill was so incredibly boring and time-consuming that I started to add in brief sprints just to break up the monotony. Before I knew it, I was running up to three miles without stopping. I now...